History There are two primary faiths held by the people who inhabit Medinaat al-Salaam. These beliefs are held not only by it’s people but also by those disparate factions who hold sway within the city as well, the Dahabi, the Qabal, and the Assassins. The first and perhaps foremost is faith in Shilah, the Sun God who rules over the Burning Sands as a wrathful deity. Her husband, Kaleel, the moon, shares some aspects of this worship, but he has far fewer followers. The other main religion of Medinaat al-Salaam is Mekhet, faith in the teachings of Mekhem and his descendent, Duqaq.
According to the faithful, it was Shilah and Kaleel who gave birth to the world. They did not fully understand this new world though, and so they created the Jinn and set them down upon the world to live and serve. But the Jinn eventually had discovered everything, including those races that had been born with the world, and they decided to create life of their own. Their first creation was the Ashalan, immortal like them, they served the Jinn faithfully, but the Jinn were still not content, feeling their creation was still flawed in some way they set about creating a new race, and eventually created humanity from the clay of the earth. The people of the land lived side by side with the jinn and other magnificent creatures which have since been scoured from the earth. In this time of prosperity, humanity grew decadent and began to practice terrible rituals, angering Shilah, who in her wrath set fire to the world. From a terrifying sun rise to a harrowing dusk, Lady Sun burned everything she could see before her anger was finally spent.
Some smaller sects claim that it was not humanity that angered Shilah but the Ashalan or Jinn who earned her wrath, and humanity was simply an unfortunate casualty in the war between Shilah and her children. These sects are usually derided for their foolishness and occasional attempts are made to declare them heretical, but the matter usually dies down before any action can be taken. Others claim that it was her husband, Kaleel, who managed to calm his wife and convince her to spare what humanity had survived her initial wrath. These sects give thanks to Lord Moon for his mercy even as they fear Lady Sun for her anger.
Since the Day of Wrath, worship of Shilah has been considered to be a must for most of the population who lives in the Burning Sands. From the City-States that survive in those few spots where humanity can survive to the nomads who wander the desert, most take great pains to make certain Shilah is not angered once again.
In more recent times there was a great internal conflict among the priests of Shilah when it was discovered that she had been replaced by a mortal. Fury, terror, and a sliver of hope filled the priests as they discussed for many years what such an event might mean for the Burning Sands. Ultimately it was decided that it would not do to risk this new Shilah’s wrath by breaking from tradition and those who said otherwise were declared heretics by the order. The truth of this change in deities was never revealed to the general populace for fear of the chaos such a revelation may cause though most priests were furious that these Rokugani were meddling with the Heavens. When this new Shilah was deposed just a few decades after, many priests were relieved that a true god had once again taken her rightful place. Once again the details of the event were conveniently never brought up even as the priests began to include more jade in their temples.
The Heavens The heavens are a complex place with many more divine beings than just the Sun and the Moon with many different realms that spread across the cosmos. On the Divine Plane stand Shilah and Kaleel, no others rise above them, these two created the mortal world and stood both as it’s guardians and as its judges. They rule unquestioned over all mortal creation and are opposed by the Ahriman, the dark realm of evil. They also hold power over many of of the other realms, save the Ahriman itself, the Realm of Chaos, and the Realm of the Jinn.
Below Shilah and Kaleel are their servants, the Ahura. Some Ahura look humanoid, while others look more like various creatures. These creatures serve as heralds and as guardians and any number of other roles that are required in the heavens. The most commonly seen by mortal man are the Buraq, winged horses that serve as heralds for the Heavens who on occasion visit the mortal realm on important business. Other Ahura serve as the rulers of the other realms, serving as the judge of the dead or seeing to their punishments, or maintaining the balance of nature or overseeing the dreams of mortals.
Below the Ahura are the Yazata, these are mortals who have proven themselves to have been holy and who accomplished great things in the name of the community. These spirits enjoy the fruits of their labor here, and are occasionally called upon to once more assist their descendents in continuing their work. Mekhem is perhaps the most well known Yazata, with Nima, Akbar, and Fatimah, among many others, also continuing to serve the will of the Heavens. The Yazata are unique among the Celestials as they still maintain a modicum of free will.
On the opposite side is the Ahriman, a maleficent spirit which rules it’s realm without question. It is populated by the Ahriman’s creations, the Daeva, with only a few mortal spirits compared to the realms of Shilah and Kaleel. These mortals are considered to be the lowest of the low, those who have become willing servants of the Ahriman. The Ahriman was locked away long ago however, and can no longer wreak havoc on the world directly. That is why he created the Daeva, to torment humanity for him. These evil spirits come in many forms, but all are evil and promote chaos and selfishness. The Ahriman has great influence over the Realm of Chaos, having spawned it off from his own realm in an attempt to increase his power in the world. The Ahriman also exerts some influence in the realms where those dead who have been judged to be unworthy now spend eternity, as these people behaved in manners fitting for the dark realm.
Unique among the heavens is the Realm of the Jinn. Locked away from both sides of the conflict, the Jinn serve as a rare neutral force who, while once servants of Shilah and Kaleel, now seem to primarily serve as servants of humanity. Their free will serves as a complement to humanity’s own Self Will.
Displays of Faith There are several articles of faith which were created to make certain the faithful would never again anger Shilah enough that she would desire to finish her work. The two most holy elements for those of the faith are fire and water. Water as the life giver and the sustainer, fire as the red brand of change and the death of the old to bring in the new. Temples often have a flame which is kept burning constantly at their center with a ring of water around it as well as several wells available just outside the temple for the faithful to clean themselves before they enter to worship.
There are three major tenets of faith in Shilah, which are as follows:
The first tenet is Prayer. Faithful are expected to pray to Shilah three times a day, first at sunrise, next at midday, and finally at dusk. The morning prayers serves to assure Shilah that the people of the Sands are still devout in their faith. The midday prayer is to assuage her anger, which is at its peak at this time. Most temples hold a midday service every day where the faithful will gather for worship. The dusk prayer is a prayer of thanks to Shilah for giving the people another day to prove themselves and to make certain her mind is not on their failings as she slumbers beneath the horizon.
The second tenet is Giving. Since it was decadence that played no small role in the first Day of Wrath, this tenant goes to ensure that such decadence does not spring up again, and also that kindness is shown to those less fortunate. 5% of a person’s savings are expected to be donated to charitable works to assist the poor and needy. Those too poor to donate of their wealth are expected to donate of their time to assist others. Most often this money is given to the temple which then distributes the funds as they see fit. This is seen as an essential part of the movement away from the chaos of the Day of Wrath towards order and the perfect tomorrow.
The third tenet is the Fast. During the month of Ramadan, the faithful do not partake of food or drink while the sun is above the horizon, to show their piety and faith towards Shilah. This act displays to Shilah the humbleness of the people of the Burning Sands and express their gratitude for sparing some from her anger. It is a time when all worshippers, no matter their difference in station, are one in deprivation by choice and all faithful are expected to partake in the fast with the exceptions of the pre-pubescent, the elderly, the ill, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those who are traveling.
Lifestyle Faith in Shilah calls for a very active lifestyle and helping of others. There is no monastic tradition among those who follow Shilah as it is not a faith of quiet contemplation of the self but of active participation in the betterment of the community. This movement away from chaos and towards order is a strong value held by the faithful who wish to see the world move away from not only the chaos and destruction brought about by the Day of Wrath, but what actions humanity took that led to it. According to the faithful. If they can continue to make amends for the actions which led to the Day of Wrath, eventually they will appease Shilah enough and lead to the Day of Peace, where the Burning Sands will once again be made plentiful.
There is also a strong belief in the Free Will of the people, as it was humanity’s choices that have led them to this point, and only humanity’s continuing choices may lead them to salvation. Punishment without freedom of choice, after all, is meaningless.
Upon their death, followers are either buried in mausoleums or, in rare instances, carried out to the Dakhma, or Towers of Silence, where the body is placed atop a tower and left to the elements. Rarest of all the funerary rites is cremation, there are too many ties to the Day of Wrath for some, though occasionally horrid criminals have their bodies disposed of in such a way, as an example to others.. Each soul, they believe, only has one life with which to prove themselves before they pass on to the afterlife and are judged on their actions and their assistance to the community. The divine assistants of Shilah and Kaleel, the Ahura, guide the souls into the afterlife, where they are judged and sorted based on their good works and contributions to society.
Medinaat al-Salaam Traditions The citizenry of Medinaat al-Salaam, for the most part, fall into the traditional roles of faith as already stated here. The majority of citizens have a greater interest in subduing the wrath of Shilah, than of studying the words of Mekhem. The former, after all, only takes a few hours and averts certain doom while the latter may take a lifetime of devotion and still see few results for their troubles. Most citizens live too day to day to worry about such matters.
Dahabi Traditions If the Dahabi Merchant Houses are best known for one religious belief it is their lack thereof. A significant minority of Dahabi make it little secret that they have more important matters to deal with than religious doctrine while even the majority only pays lip service to Shilah’s tenets. Far more of the Dahabi have an interest in the teachings of Mekhem than in fear of Shilah, but even then their faith is, generally speaking, lacking compared to the common populace. It is not hard to see why. Most Dahabi have little love for a faith which denounces them for their extraordinary wealth and calls on them constantly to donate more of their wealth to the public good than they already do. More than one militant priest of Shilah has run afoul of the Dahabi for preaching that the Merchants are servants of the Ahriman.
Qabal Traditions Unlike the majority of citizens, the Qabal, with a focus on study and philosophy and knowledge, have a greater respect for Mekhem than they do for Shilah. Though many still follow the tenets of Shilah as any good follower would. Still, they rarely let faith get in the way of advancement and in recent years the Qabal and the Priests of Shilah have gotten involved in quite an argument over the supposed discovery of other Celestial Bodies being referred to as planets by Qabalists who are devoted to this new theory.
Assassin Traditions Like most regular citizens, Assassins generally have a closer tie to belief in Shilah than in Mekhem. Their belief in a vengeful deity ties in closely with their own faction’s history and the goal set forth for them by the Old Man of the Mountain. The Assassins see themselves as Avatars of vengeance, and many among the Daughters of the Mountain have quietly put up shrines of the Old Man, claiming that he has joined the ranks of the Yazatas. So far no priestly order has confirmed his inclusion among those hallowed ranks however.
Nomad Traditions The Nomads pursue a faith in Shilah much less structured than that found within the cities of the Burning Sands. They have no temples, and a plethora of priests, indeed it is uncommon for a nomadic group to be seen without at least one priest in attendance to oversee the rituals over life, death, and prayer. The vast majority of shrines to Shilah that have been constructed out in the desert were built by the nomads. Such shrines are crude but sturdy and any passing nomadic tribe is always certain to see to the care of such shrines.
Shilah
History
There are two primary faiths held by the people who inhabit Medinaat al-Salaam. These beliefs are held not only by it’s people but also by those disparate factions who hold sway within the city as well, the Dahabi, the Qabal, and the Assassins. The first and perhaps foremost is faith in Shilah, the Sun God who rules over the Burning Sands as a wrathful deity. Her husband, Kaleel, the moon, shares some aspects of this worship, but he has far fewer followers. The other main religion of Medinaat al-Salaam is Mekhet, faith in the teachings of Mekhem and his descendent, Duqaq.
According to the faithful, it was Shilah and Kaleel who gave birth to the world. They did not fully understand this new world though, and so they created the Jinn and set them down upon the world to live and serve. But the Jinn eventually had discovered everything, including those races that had been born with the world, and they decided to create life of their own. Their first creation was the Ashalan, immortal like them, they served the Jinn faithfully, but the Jinn were still not content, feeling their creation was still flawed in some way they set about creating a new race, and eventually created humanity from the clay of the earth. The people of the land lived side by side with the jinn and other magnificent creatures which have since been scoured from the earth. In this time of prosperity, humanity grew decadent and began to practice terrible rituals, angering Shilah, who in her wrath set fire to the world. From a terrifying sun rise to a harrowing dusk, Lady Sun burned everything she could see before her anger was finally spent.
Some smaller sects claim that it was not humanity that angered Shilah but the Ashalan or Jinn who earned her wrath, and humanity was simply an unfortunate casualty in the war between Shilah and her children. These sects are usually derided for their foolishness and occasional attempts are made to declare them heretical, but the matter usually dies down before any action can be taken. Others claim that it was her husband, Kaleel, who managed to calm his wife and convince her to spare what humanity had survived her initial wrath. These sects give thanks to Lord Moon for his mercy even as they fear Lady Sun for her anger.
Since the Day of Wrath, worship of Shilah has been considered to be a must for most of the population who lives in the Burning Sands. From the City-States that survive in those few spots where humanity can survive to the nomads who wander the desert, most take great pains to make certain Shilah is not angered once again.
In more recent times there was a great internal conflict among the priests of Shilah when it was discovered that she had been replaced by a mortal. Fury, terror, and a sliver of hope filled the priests as they discussed for many years what such an event might mean for the Burning Sands. Ultimately it was decided that it would not do to risk this new Shilah’s wrath by breaking from tradition and those who said otherwise were declared heretics by the order. The truth of this change in deities was never revealed to the general populace for fear of the chaos such a revelation may cause though most priests were furious that these Rokugani were meddling with the Heavens. When this new Shilah was deposed just a few decades after, many priests were relieved that a true god had once again taken her rightful place. Once again the details of the event were conveniently never brought up even as the priests began to include more jade in their temples.
The Heavens
The heavens are a complex place with many more divine beings than just the Sun and the Moon with many different realms that spread across the cosmos. On the Divine Plane stand Shilah and Kaleel, no others rise above them, these two created the mortal world and stood both as it’s guardians and as its judges. They rule unquestioned over all mortal creation and are opposed by the Ahriman, the dark realm of evil. They also hold power over many of of the other realms, save the Ahriman itself, the Realm of Chaos, and the Realm of the Jinn.
Below Shilah and Kaleel are their servants, the Ahura. Some Ahura look humanoid, while others look more like various creatures. These creatures serve as heralds and as guardians and any number of other roles that are required in the heavens. The most commonly seen by mortal man are the Buraq, winged horses that serve as heralds for the Heavens who on occasion visit the mortal realm on important business. Other Ahura serve as the rulers of the other realms, serving as the judge of the dead or seeing to their punishments, or maintaining the balance of nature or overseeing the dreams of mortals.
Below the Ahura are the Yazata, these are mortals who have proven themselves to have been holy and who accomplished great things in the name of the community. These spirits enjoy the fruits of their labor here, and are occasionally called upon to once more assist their descendents in continuing their work. Mekhem is perhaps the most well known Yazata, with Nima, Akbar, and Fatimah, among many others, also continuing to serve the will of the Heavens. The Yazata are unique among the Celestials as they still maintain a modicum of free will.
On the opposite side is the Ahriman, a maleficent spirit which rules it’s realm without question. It is populated by the Ahriman’s creations, the Daeva, with only a few mortal spirits compared to the realms of Shilah and Kaleel. These mortals are considered to be the lowest of the low, those who have become willing servants of the Ahriman. The Ahriman was locked away long ago however, and can no longer wreak havoc on the world directly. That is why he created the Daeva, to torment humanity for him. These evil spirits come in many forms, but all are evil and promote chaos and selfishness. The Ahriman has great influence over the Realm of Chaos, having spawned it off from his own realm in an attempt to increase his power in the world. The Ahriman also exerts some influence in the realms where those dead who have been judged to be unworthy now spend eternity, as these people behaved in manners fitting for the dark realm.
Unique among the heavens is the Realm of the Jinn. Locked away from both sides of the conflict, the Jinn serve as a rare neutral force who, while once servants of Shilah and Kaleel, now seem to primarily serve as servants of humanity. Their free will serves as a complement to humanity’s own Self Will.
Displays of Faith
There are several articles of faith which were created to make certain the faithful would never again anger Shilah enough that she would desire to finish her work. The two most holy elements for those of the faith are fire and water. Water as the life giver and the sustainer, fire as the red brand of change and the death of the old to bring in the new. Temples often have a flame which is kept burning constantly at their center with a ring of water around it as well as several wells available just outside the temple for the faithful to clean themselves before they enter to worship.
There are three major tenets of faith in Shilah, which are as follows:
The first tenet is Prayer. Faithful are expected to pray to Shilah three times a day, first at sunrise, next at midday, and finally at dusk. The morning prayers serves to assure Shilah that the people of the Sands are still devout in their faith. The midday prayer is to assuage her anger, which is at its peak at this time. Most temples hold a midday service every day where the faithful will gather for worship. The dusk prayer is a prayer of thanks to Shilah for giving the people another day to prove themselves and to make certain her mind is not on their failings as she slumbers beneath the horizon.
The second tenet is Giving. Since it was decadence that played no small role in the first Day of Wrath, this tenant goes to ensure that such decadence does not spring up again, and also that kindness is shown to those less fortunate. 5% of a person’s savings are expected to be donated to charitable works to assist the poor and needy. Those too poor to donate of their wealth are expected to donate of their time to assist others. Most often this money is given to the temple which then distributes the funds as they see fit. This is seen as an essential part of the movement away from the chaos of the Day of Wrath towards order and the perfect tomorrow.
The third tenet is the Fast. During the month of Ramadan, the faithful do not partake of food or drink while the sun is above the horizon, to show their piety and faith towards Shilah. This act displays to Shilah the humbleness of the people of the Burning Sands and express their gratitude for sparing some from her anger. It is a time when all worshippers, no matter their difference in station, are one in deprivation by choice and all faithful are expected to partake in the fast with the exceptions of the pre-pubescent, the elderly, the ill, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those who are traveling.
Lifestyle
Faith in Shilah calls for a very active lifestyle and helping of others. There is no monastic tradition among those who follow Shilah as it is not a faith of quiet contemplation of the self but of active participation in the betterment of the community. This movement away from chaos and towards order is a strong value held by the faithful who wish to see the world move away from not only the chaos and destruction brought about by the Day of Wrath, but what actions humanity took that led to it. According to the faithful. If they can continue to make amends for the actions which led to the Day of Wrath, eventually they will appease Shilah enough and lead to the Day of Peace, where the Burning Sands will once again be made plentiful.
There is also a strong belief in the Free Will of the people, as it was humanity’s choices that have led them to this point, and only humanity’s continuing choices may lead them to salvation. Punishment without freedom of choice, after all, is meaningless.
Upon their death, followers are either buried in mausoleums or, in rare instances, carried out to the Dakhma, or Towers of Silence, where the body is placed atop a tower and left to the elements. Rarest of all the funerary rites is cremation, there are too many ties to the Day of Wrath for some, though occasionally horrid criminals have their bodies disposed of in such a way, as an example to others.. Each soul, they believe, only has one life with which to prove themselves before they pass on to the afterlife and are judged on their actions and their assistance to the community. The divine assistants of Shilah and Kaleel, the Ahura, guide the souls into the afterlife, where they are judged and sorted based on their good works and contributions to society.
Medinaat al-Salaam Traditions
The citizenry of Medinaat al-Salaam, for the most part, fall into the traditional roles of faith as already stated here. The majority of citizens have a greater interest in subduing the wrath of Shilah, than of studying the words of Mekhem. The former, after all, only takes a few hours and averts certain doom while the latter may take a lifetime of devotion and still see few results for their troubles. Most citizens live too day to day to worry about such matters.
Dahabi Traditions
If the Dahabi Merchant Houses are best known for one religious belief it is their lack thereof. A significant minority of Dahabi make it little secret that they have more important matters to deal with than religious doctrine while even the majority only pays lip service to Shilah’s tenets. Far more of the Dahabi have an interest in the teachings of Mekhem than in fear of Shilah, but even then their faith is, generally speaking, lacking compared to the common populace. It is not hard to see why. Most Dahabi have little love for a faith which denounces them for their extraordinary wealth and calls on them constantly to donate more of their wealth to the public good than they already do. More than one militant priest of Shilah has run afoul of the Dahabi for preaching that the Merchants are servants of the Ahriman.
Qabal Traditions
Unlike the majority of citizens, the Qabal, with a focus on study and philosophy and knowledge, have a greater respect for Mekhem than they do for Shilah. Though many still follow the tenets of Shilah as any good follower would. Still, they rarely let faith get in the way of advancement and in recent years the Qabal and the Priests of Shilah have gotten involved in quite an argument over the supposed discovery of other Celestial Bodies being referred to as planets by Qabalists who are devoted to this new theory.
Assassin Traditions
Like most regular citizens, Assassins generally have a closer tie to belief in Shilah than in Mekhem. Their belief in a vengeful deity ties in closely with their own faction’s history and the goal set forth for them by the Old Man of the Mountain. The Assassins see themselves as Avatars of vengeance, and many among the Daughters of the Mountain have quietly put up shrines of the Old Man, claiming that he has joined the ranks of the Yazatas. So far no priestly order has confirmed his inclusion among those hallowed ranks however.
Nomad Traditions
The Nomads pursue a faith in Shilah much less structured than that found within the cities of the Burning Sands. They have no temples, and a plethora of priests, indeed it is uncommon for a nomadic group to be seen without at least one priest in attendance to oversee the rituals over life, death, and prayer. The vast majority of shrines to Shilah that have been constructed out in the desert were built by the nomads. Such shrines are crude but sturdy and any passing nomadic tribe is always certain to see to the care of such shrines.